Middle Eastern Chickpea Burgers

My friend, Michelle recently tried this vegan recipe out and loved it. I will agree; these were darn good "burgers"...kinda reminiscent of falafel. We topped ours with avocado slices and hummus, but the recipe itself calls for a tomato chutney topping. I will post both recipes, even though I did not make the chutney. I will certainly keep these sandwiches in my vegetarian repertoire.

Middle Eastern Chickpea Burgers
From: Reprinted by Experience Life Magazine with permission from The Cancer-Fighting Kitchen: Nourishing, Big-Flavor Recipes for Cancer Treatment and Recovery. Copyright © 2009 by Rebecca Katz with Mat Edelson, Celestial Arts, a division of the Crown Publishing Group, Berkeley, CA.

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked chickpeas, or one 15-ounce can, drained, rinsed and mixed with a spritz of fresh lemon juice and a pinch of salt
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. ground coriander
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. minced fresh ginger
3 tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbs. freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 1/2 cups cooked brown basmati rice
3 tbs. finely diced red bell pepper
1/4 cup loosely packed minced, fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine the chickpeas, salt, turmeric, paprika, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, garlic, ginger, olive oil and lemon juice in a food processor and process until smooth and well combined, scraping the sides occasionally. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and fold in the rice, bell pepper and parsley.

Moisten your hands to keep the mixture from sticking, then shape the mixture into 1/4-inch-thick patties about 21/2 inches in diameter. Place them on the prepared pan and bake for 22 to 25 minutes, until the patties start to get dry and crisp on the outside. They will firm up as they cool. (Serve with Katz's Tomato Mint Chutney.)

Variation: For a crispy burger, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and cook the patties for about 3 minutes on each side, until golden brown.

Notes: Store in a covered container in the refrigerator for three to five days. To freeze these burgers, either cooked or uncooked, stack them up with parchment paper between the burgers, then wrap first in plastic wrap, then in foil. The parchment paper makes it easy to remove the desired number of burgers from the bundle. Once thawed, cooked burgers can be reheated at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes, and uncooked burgers can be baked as above, at 375 degrees F for 22 to 25 minutes.

Per serving: Calories: 100; Total Fat: 3.5 g (0.5 g saturated, 2 g monounsaturated); Carbohydrates: 15 g; Protein: 3g; Fiber: 3 g; Sodium: 223 mg

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Katz's Tomato Mint Chutney

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 shallots, diced small
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
2 cinnamon sticks
4 cups coarsely chopped fresh tomatoes or diced canned tomatoes
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves, chopped

Directions:
Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-low heat, then add the shallots, red pepper flakes, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, and cinnamon sticks and sauté until the shallots are golden brown, about 4 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, maple syrup, and salt, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the tomato juices have evaporated.

Stir in the ginger and mint and serve warm or at room temperature.(Makes 1 cup.)



The Result:
Awesome!